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MaryM
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| Posted: May 12 2011 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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OK - we don't seem to have a true thread devoted to trains and railroads. How can that be? Nothing is more classic that the love of trains for little boys. Anyway, I just ran across a lovely train picture book and wanted to add it to a thread. Since there isn't a train titled thread, I'm staring one and linking the one on from the picture book index - Riding the Rails: A-Z - which did have several train recommendation-themed links added to it when Stef and Melinda compiled the great index.
That list included these recommendations:
stefoodie wrote:
Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
The Story of Holly and Ivy
Abraham Lincoln Comes Home
kingvozzo wrote:
the original Thomas stories are very nice. We actually wore out our first copy, and my older son never saw the show (or the movie--Magic Railroad--which came out when he was about 2 or so) and did not suffer from the lack of it. Original Thomas the Tank Engine Stories
If I recall, they do use the word stupid, and "shut up" I think (both no-nos in our house), but that's easy to edit out with a pre-reader. Plus, each story in the book is short. I think there's 48 of them. |
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DK Big Book of Trains- not a story book, but my train-loving boys (once upon a time) loved this!
The Goodnight Train - a cute bedtime book for your littles!
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo -- almost every little boy I know who loves/d trains loves/d this book! Rhymes + trains = unbeatable combination
Choo Choo - and how can you not love this one, another classic from Virginia Lee Burton?
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The new one I want to add is:
The Last Train - Wendall Minor
At the risk of sounding like a broken record I will mention how much I love the illustrations of Wendall Minor. He does not disappoint here. Lovely, vibrant illustrations that evoke a bygone era of the railroad. That is the theme of the book for sure. It is an illustrated version of a 2005 song written by Gordon Titcomb. It starts with a picture of a little boy in front of a boarded up railroad station.
"If you close your eyes and listen, you can almost hear the sound of those big iron horses rolling into town."
Illustrated lyrics show glimpses of the heyday of rail and its decline. Very nostalgic book.
Some classic favorites from my boys toddler days (oh, my where does the time go  ?):
The Little Train (Lois Lenski)
Freight Train (Donald Crews)
The Little Engine That Could (Watty Piper)
...and Virginia Lee Burton's Choo Choo mentioned above.
And of course they loved Thomas the Tank engine in his heyday...though I thought them to be "twaddly" - kids love them.
So what are your favorite train and railroad books?
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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kristinannie
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This is definitely a list I need! My son is really into trains! Thanks for posting!
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John Paul 8.5
Meredith Rose 7
Dominic Michael 4.5
Katherine Elizabeth 8 months
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knowloveserve
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Bill Peet is loved in our house as one of the no-fail family favorites and he has a couple train books:
The Caboose who got Loose
and Smokey
Both are great stories and enjoyed by my boys.
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Ellie
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MaryM
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Trains - by Lynn Curlee
Lynn Curlee writes and illustrates some great historical themed picture books. They are longer text so very thorough on the topic covered. This one is a must for any train enthusiast. From the invention of the locomotive to its modern form, the book covers 200+ years of rail history and travel. Bold, bright graphics add to the enjoyment of the book.
Another historic look at trains is Steam, Smoke, and Steel: Back in Time with Trains by Patrick O'Brien
Also an enjoyable and informative book on the train told as a fictional story of a boy looking back in his family's history to their work on the rails.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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The Stourbridge Lion: America's First Locomotive (Karl Zimmerman)
Two Little Trains (Margaret Wise Brown)
Seymour Simon's Book of Trains (Seymour Simon)
Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Nancy Farmer)
Casey Jones (Allan Drummond)
Kate Shelley Bound for Legend (Robert San Souci)
Here COmes the Train (Charlotte Voake)
Coolies (Yin)
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Mary M. in Denver
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JaysFamily
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I'm going to be busy sifting through so many suggestions!
We had The Caboose Who Got Loose years ago, but got rid of it. We called it The Suicidal Train book.
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In Christ,
Jaysfamily
wife to Jay
mother to DS(5)
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stacykay
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Oh, I like this, Mary! I am planning out our summer, and I want to take the boys through their grandparents careers, countries of origen, etc. My grandfather was a train engineer, and I honestly never knew that there was any other kind of engineer until I was in 5th grade or so! All those kids who said, "Oh, my dad is an engineer.." I thought they all drove trains! 
We love "The Caboose Who Got Loose!"
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
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MaryM
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Some train/railroad stories from the Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact Catholic comic books.
All Aboard: The Story of the Railroad part 1
All Aboard: The Story of the Railroad part 2
All Aboard: The Story of the Railroad part 3
Band of Steel
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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Country Crossing by Jim Ayelsworth and illustrated by Ted Rand. Lovely book that captures the time and experience waiting at a railroad crossing.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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I mentioned in another thread, I'm going to be putting this new book in multiple sections. This is its most fitting category as it is fundamentally a train book. Tells the story of the transcontinental railroad.
Locomotive
Author/illustrator, Brian Floca, is amazing. I have thoroughly enjoyed his amazing picture books. This one probably tops the list for me - cute story, thorough history coverage, rich language and engaging illustrations. It has very extensive author notes outside of the story - some that cover the history of getting people and mail form coast to coast and basics of steam engines and steam power - all with the same style of amazing illustrations as are in the main text.
It tells the story of a family traveling from St. Louis to California to meet up with their miner father. It covers each leg of the journey with great insight in the the history, the terrain, the engineering, the travel experience, and the train itself. Much of the geographic area covered in the transcontinental railroad is a stretch our family has covered many, many times traveling to Oregon (via Wyoming & Utah) and to California. Every place is familiar to me - yet I learned SO MUCH from this book and it made me curious to explore further these locations on the railroad (which were also on the pioneer trials of the mid 1800's).
Definitely a treasure for the train enthusiast.
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Mary M. in Denver
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Trains & Railroads
